GBI Magazine

Gold and Black Illustrated, Jan.-Feb. 2014

Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.

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f o o t b a l l : trying to do. When you get to a situation where you're reeling a little bit, everybody is looking for that on-thefield leadership, and that's one of the things we have to try to create and do a better job of. I have to maybe put more guys in leadership positions so that does emerge. There's a lot of good things that happened that a lot of times the public can't see. Some of the execution from Week 1 to Week 12, schematically in certain situations offensively and defensively, when younger guys are fitting into those schemes, you see them get better at their techniques and you see them get better at knowledge of where they're supposed to be. Those are the things that you like to see." Q: When do you start digging in from film standpoint to 2013 and picking it apart? Hazell: "We'll do that extensively probably February, March, leading into spring football. We'll have a cut-up of every single play, all three phases and just analyze. What do we need to do better? How can we do this better? That's the whole goal for the offseason." Q: Is there danger looking back too much at a 1-11 season? Hazell: "No. I think it's very constructive. I think it really is, to be able to see that. Why aren't we getting that zone block accomplished? It's not so much about whether we won the game or lost the game. It was why we didn't hit that out cut consistently? Or why didn't we get to the gap on defense? Those are the things that you look back when you're in the middle of the season, sometimes it's hard to see those things as clearly, but when you have time to sit back and really be critical of yourselves, why, how do we do it a little bit better." Q: What's your approach to the offseason program this year compared to last year? Hazell: "There will be some different focuses. We're still going to ramp up our 6 a.m. workouts. We set the schedule for those this morning. You're trying to create the toughness and the fighting through some pain and all those things you need to do. We set our spring game practices this morning. The plan is in place." Q: When does the offseason start? Hazell: "Our first workout is the 15th (of January), that Wednesday, and it'll go from that point on. We've got to get stronger. We've got to get bigger. We've looked at some position changes, and we're still looking; for a couple guys, two, three guys."j 18 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 t h e y e a r t h a t w a s One season Forget To Hazell's first statistically one of program's worst BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie @GoldandBlack.com ANALYSIS T here is no running from the numbers. Purdue had a season of epically bad proportions in 2013. A quick glance down the list of NCAA statistics reveals that the Boilermakers ranked in the 100s out of 123 FBS schools in 15 of the 25 categories. It was among the 10-worst schools in the nation in 10 categories. No surprise, then, that those numbers were historically bad, too. A defense loaded with upperclassmen with significant previous starting experience allowed more points than any other in the school's previous 125 seasons, besting its 2012-worst by 50 points. It hardly got pressure on opposing quarterbacks, managing only 14 sacks, the lowest total in 21 seasons. It allowed at least one 100-yard rusher in every Big Ten game, and 11 total in eight. That was a first for a Purdue team since at least 1970, likely ever. An offense with hardly any experience — only three players returned who'd started a season's worth of games in their careers — struggled to score, posting an average of 14.9, the lowest since 1988. It converted only 31 percent of its third downs, the team's worst conversion percentage since 1992. Its running backs managed two rushing touchdowns. It was the first time since 1990 that Purdue didn't reach 1,000 rushing yards on the season, getting only 805 in 2013. Its win total — one — was the lowest since 1993. That was also the last time Purdue didn't win a Big Ten game in a season. One of its 11 losses, a 56-0 drubbing to Ohio State, tied for the worst in the program's history. f

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